After Care Guide

By applying Car Care’s specially developed vehicle protection packages you have taken an important step in, not only making it look its best, but keeping it that way for years to come. A better looking car means a higher re-sale price.

The first thing you will notice is how much easier your car is to clean – water just runs off it and a quick wipe with a micro-fibre chamois leaves a brilliant shine – but contrary to some claims it doesn’t mean you never have to clean it. Any blemishes should be removed as soon as you spot them using the appropriate product. In most cases a wipe over with Car Care’s Dry Wash and Guard is all that is needed.

What that extra layer has given you – apart from making it look great – is a little longer to deal with any problems. Things to watch out for:

Road contaminants If, over a long period of time, oils, dirt, tar, exhaust and other pollutants are allowed to build up, they combine to affect the paint finish.

Nature Tree sap, bird droppings, insects, salt/bore water and other natural deposits can, if allowed to stay on the paint work, leave an etching or scarring. All of the above should be washed off as soon as possible.

Environmental Industrial fallout and other man made products may react chemically – damaging paintwork. The best and simplest way to keep your car looking great is to keep it clean, however many of the worst problems can be caused by poor cleaning practices and the use of inferior products.

Washing your car

Below are some helpful tips to help you wash your car properly. We have taken into account that you are not necessarily looking for the professional clean that you would expect from a qualified detailing specialist and that you don’t have the range of products and tools that they would carry. However, there are some things that are important to know if you want to keep your car in good condition as well as looking good.

• Automatic machine that bring anything into contact with your car other than water are a complete no go • Wash your car regularly. Once a week is preferable but it will depend on where you live and how you use your car. • Always ensure wheels are cooled prior to applying any cleaning product. • Do not wash your car in direct sunlight • If the car is very dirty hose it down first to remove any grit or loose particles. • Wash it thoroughly with a specialist car shampoo and a microfibre mitt being careful to remove all bird droppings and other stubborn marks without scratching. Never use hot water or strong chemical detergents. • Wash down again with clean water and chamois dry

As we have pointed out, by sticking to the regime above your car should remain in great condition. Even with the best maintenance program there will be occasions where mother nature or something else conspires to create a situation where you need to take corrective action. The most common of these are:

Grease and oil For the most part these can be removed using a specialist cleaning product – like Car Care’s General Purpose Cleaner – Ideally the product should be applied prior to washing to allow it to take effect and to avoid the need to scrub.

Petrol Spills Many people don’t consider this a problem because it is not immediately noticeable, but if left petrol has a tendency to stain or soften the paintwork. Clean the effected area immediately with clean water.

Overspray This is a common problem with many of us working in or close to industrial sites or construction work. The easiest way to detect this is to use the plastic bag test. If your cars paintwork feels like sandpaper then this might be the cause. In many cases a good wash and polish will return your cars surface to its best. In some extreme cases it may require something a bit more radical. In these cases you should contact your Car Care specialist who will advise on the best solution.

The key to all dealing with any problems with your car is to treat it as early as possible. If in doubt contact Car Care and we will do our best to help you.

Polishing paintwork

There are as many myths about polishing as there are polishing products. Should you polish your car? What should you use? How often should it be applied?

Once you have applied Car Care’s Acrylic/PTFE Sealant there should be know reason to polish your vehicle, provided you have removed any blemishes in good time. In fact, we specifically recommend that you do not use a wax product on the vehicle.

Should you not have applied a paint protection product manufacturers recommend you apply a polish about every 3 months in order to reduce the effects of natural contaminants that are constantly bombarding your cars paint work.

Always remember to wash the vehicle thoroughly prior to application and consult the manufacturers recommended product list to ensure you use a polish that will not damage your vehicle.

2 Comments

Mike Stringer on December 15, 2010 at 11:46 am

Thank you for your comments, we are glad you like it. We had the help of a very good agency – see link at the bottom of the home page

Dave-wa on February 5, 2011 at 5:16 pm

Love the website, it looks great. Do you have any tips for cleaning and care of alloy wheels? I read somewhere that you can put some sort of wax on the inside faces to stop brake dust sticking. Does this work or do you have any other tips?